Car loader



y 1933 w. F. EPPENSTEINER LQHZASQ CAR LOADER Filed Oct. 16, 1950 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR By Attorneys,

a m Y L AT y 1933. w. F. EPPENSTEINER 0 CAR LOADER 2 ShGBLS-ShGUt 2 W ByAiiorneys, W "m INVENTORIT,

Filed Oct. 16, 1930 a mu A the operatives.

Patented May 30, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oF i WILLIAM F. EPPENSTEINER,0F RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN METAL COMPANY (LIMITED),OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORCPGBATION OF NEW YORK CAR LOADER Application filed October 16, 1930.Serial No. 489,121.

This invention relates to apparatus for loading granular or pulverulentmaterial into box cars or for performing other similar functions.

In loading such material into box cars, it has to be passed through oneof the side doors and carried to the opposite ends of the car body. Itis important to minimize the requirement of manual labor for shovelingor trimming the material within the car, especially with materials whichgive off an unwholesome or even poisonous dust, where the labor ishighly detrimental to the health of An example of such material is zincoxide, for which the specific apparatus hereinafter described has beenespecially designed and is well suited.

The car loader provided by the present invention includes a conveyor ofany suitable type adapted to convey the material in substantiallyhorizontal direction and movable to enable it to be introduced throughthe side door of a freight car; a mounting for such conveyor, includinga swiveled support around which the conveyor may swing in a horizontalplane, and a carriage or bogie supported on casters or rollers on apreferably level platform, so that it may participate in any suchswinging movement and may move longitudinally of the conveyor when thelatter is being introduced into or withdrawn from the car through theside door; a means for driving the conveyor is conveniently located onsaid carriage.

The preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein- Figure l is a plan of the apparatus, the conveyor being partlybroken away in midsection and various'positions being shown in dottedlines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the conveyor, illustrating it in operation Within a car body;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan, partially in section, on the line H in Fig.3.

In the drawings A indicates the car body and B a side door or dooropening thereof.

C is the conveyor as a whole, D being its frame or casing, and E itsconveying means which, in this case, is shown as a screw, although othertypes of conveying means may be substituted. The material to beloaded isintroduced into the conveyor from above through a chute F whichconnects,by a dc tachable portion G, with a receiving opening Him thetop of the conveyor casing. The

material is carried through the conveyor and discharged from an openingorspout I at or near its outer end. I

The conveyor is supported on 'a support J, which is swiveled at K sothatit may be turned sidewise to swing the conveyor around in a horizontalor approximately horizontal plane. To fasten it in any desired position,the base or platform L, on which the support is mounted, is providedwith an arc r groove a engaged by a clamping bolt 6 onthe supportingstructure or by any other suitable anchoring means. At the end or whatmaybe referred to as the inner end of the conveyor is located a carrierM which may consist, as shown, of a small platform on whlch is mountedthe driving mechanism for operating the conveyor. This carrier M ismounted on rollers c, which may be casters and which roll freely on thetop of the plat formL. The means for operating the conveyor may consistof an electric motor or other suitable engine (Z, the shaft '6 of whichenters a gear casing 7" in which is any suitable type of reducinggearing whereby a drive is' imparted to the shaft 9 of the conveyor.This mechanism will, of course, be provided with some suitablecontrolling means (not shown) Any suitable engaging connection may beapplied between the under side of the C011. veyor frame A and theswiveled support J.- The construction shown includes a grooved roller hturning in bearings on the swiveled support and on the top of whichrides'a rail i'which is fastened beneath the frame D. This'rail t servesto strengthen the frameD' and also serves as its means of support "onthe saddle which is constituted by the roller 71. (andwhich, except foranti-friction purposes, mightlbe any sliding type of saddle). Theconstruction is such that the conveyor may be moved endwise, this rail2' rolling on the roller h. The support J has side flanges or guides 70,which serve for stiffening, and also has an additional guide for thesides of the conveyor frame. For a screw conveyor, this frame is in theform of a trough, as usual,this being shown in Fig. 3.

In operation the car to be loaded is brought alongside the platform L,at which time the conveyor is pulled back so thatits outer end standsapproximately in the position indicated by the dotted lines w in Fig. 1and its carriage M is in the position shown by the dotted lines M inthat figure, and the carriage M is then pushed forward to project theconveyor into the side of the car; this movement may carry the carriageto the position indicated at M and the end of the conveyor to theposition shown at m; then, or, if preferred, simultaneously with theforward movement,the conveyor is swung around to an oblique positionsuch that its spout I is carried as far as is desired into the cartoward one end thereof. This may bring the parts to the'position shownin full lines in Fig. 1 or to a position of greater obliquity within thelimits of the arc-shaped slot a. The extreme position is not shown inFig. 1 because the scale does not permit the entire length of the car tobe shown; it is desirable to carry the conveyor in toward the end of thecar far enough to stack the material so far in that no shoveling, oronly the minimum of shoveling afterward for trim- V ming the load, maybe necessary. When as much material has been introduced with theconveyor in this position as is desired, it is' then drawn back andswung around to the opposite angle to a position which may be indicated,for example, by the dotted lines 00 in Fig. 1, or in practice to afarther position. In each position of angular adjustment the screw 6should be tightened in order to hold the conveyor against swaying orbeing displaced laterally.

It will be understood that the details of construction may be variedwithin the limits of the skill of a constructor or as required accordingto the engineering conditions involved.

It will also be understood that the volume of material directed downthrough the chute F will be controlled in any of the known.

ways,as by slides, an example of a slide being shown at N in Fig. 2.Before pulling back the conveyor, the flexible connecting section G maybe disconnected after closing the slide N; or, by mounting the chutehigh enough and making the connection G of suf ficient length, this maybe a flexible chute or conduit, which will accommodate itselfto anymovement of the conveyor. I claim as my invention: 7 1. A car loadercomprising a. supporting platform alongside which the car may be

